The MIllstone Times November 2018

HEALTH 

 WELLNESS

&

Sharing Health Data Are you concerned with where your healthcare data is ending up? If you’re like most Americans, the answer to that question is no. An NPR- Truven Health Analytics Health Poll found that data privacy didn’t appear to bother most respondents. The study found that privacy concerns were highest regarding information held by health insurers, but even then only 16 percent of people expressed any real worry about how that information may be used. The study interviewed thousands of people by cellphone, landline and online. A majority of the people asked (53 percent) said they would be willing to share information anonymously with health care researchers. Who’s Using Your Data? Researchers in government, universities, drug companies or consulting firms are a few examples of potential landing spots for your medical data. Here’s what the NPR-Truven Health Analytics poll found regarding who could be using your data: • Comfort with researchers possessing critical data ran between 87 and 92 percent If you are concerned about where your data is being distributed, you, as a consumer, have the right to raise questions. Most information about the use of your data can be found within the privacy policy provided your insurance, physician’s office or hospital. If you’re still confused about the process after reading through the privacy policies, here are some questions you can ask your provider. • Will I be notified every time you share information about me? • Is my medical information available to anyone other than my medical providers and insurance companies? • What will health insurers do with my records? Can companies other than my policy provider access my records? • Is my data used for any purpose other than to provide mymedical information to my providers? • Ninety-five percent of sharing-inclined people under 35 were OK with giving anonymized data to professors, while only 74 percent of people 65 and older were What to Do About It

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The Millstone Times

November 2018